Bottle suspension means



June 1957 w. B. SNOOK 2,795,454

BOTTLE SUSPENSION MEANS Filed Sept. 1, 1953 FIE EA INVENTOR.

WZTEI? 5. 5 V00rf l5 FIE-fi BY w ko Afro/ ewer United States BOTTLE SUSPENSION MEANS Walter B. Snook, Palo Alto, Calif., assignor, by m esne assignments, to Henry Gifford Hardy, Oakland, Calif.

Application September 1, 1953, Serial No. 377,764 4 Claims. (Cl. 294-312) This invention relates to bottle suspension means and more particularly to a bail and strap for suspending bottles commonly used in hospitals and in the field for socalled drip therapy. It is well-known that in the administration of blood plasma, whole blood, saline solution, and many others, that the bottles containing the fluid are suspended with the neck downwardly and it is a matter of extreme importance that the means used to suspend the bottle be capable of withstanding the roughest treatment and the severest conditions without dislodgement or weakening.

The pharmaceutical bottle or container has already a standard design and is usually of a one liter capacity, although /2 and liter bottles are used extensively. The body of the bottle is rounded to the neck in order to insure complete drainage of all liquid when the bottle is inverted. The neck is of special design and is sealed with a suitable stopper to maintain the contents in sterile condition. The stopper is also equipped so that by suitable attachment, the bottle contents may be drained through a tube attached thereto. Adjacent the bottom of the bottle is an annulus in the glass, in which the strap carrying the bail is attached.

The straps and their bails are attached at the time the bottles are filled by the pharmaceutical supply firm, and become a standard part of the bottle when it is packaged for shipment, in a condition ready for immediate use. Hangers heretofore used for this purpose have followed the general form of relatively wide thin metal bands, adapted to encircle the bottle in the bottom of the annular depression. One end of the band is punched with a hole and the other end is provided with a tongue which is passed through the hole and bent backward in attaching the band to the bottle. To accommodate the bail, external depressions are formed in the band at diametric points with a central hole therethrough. The bail hooks, which are in a plane at right angles to the plane of the bail, are passed through the holes so that their open ends are on the inside of the band and rotate within the depression.

Such hangers are relatively expensive to manufacture and are relatively bulky. The bulkiness of these hangers is reflected in disadvantages, both before and after attachment to the bottle. Since these hangers are made separately from the glass bottle containers, they are assembled and stacked together prior to attachment. Their size makes them inconvenient to stack or handle prior to attachment and after they are attached to the bottles, the extra diameter of the bail requires additional packing space for the bottles, which causes many problems. Other disadvantages arise from the difficulty of and cost of hand labor required for attaching such hangers to the bottoms of the bottles. The bands, being of light thin metal, do not provide any margin of safety for bending the tongue in attaching it to the bottle. The weakening ofthe attachment is a matter of tragic danger. Accordiijgly, it is an object of the present invention to provide 2,795,454 Patented June 11, 1957 an improved form of hanger for attachment to these special bottles for safely suspending the same during use.

.It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved hanger of the character described which has increased tensile strength and load capacity and which will, therefore, stand more successive bendings without weakening and failing.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide bottle suspension means which may be attached to the bottle with greater ease and speed and with less human error than any other form heretofore known.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a bottle suspension means of the type herein disclosed, which may be completely preformed and assembled by the manufacturer, and delivered ready for attachment to the bottles themselves. This also makes possible the application of the hanger to the bottle by machine, instead of manually, and full automatic application.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bottle suspension means which lessens breakage in the package because of a minimum of protrusion and the elimination of sharp points.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bail and hanger for pharmaceutical bottles where there is a permanent connection between the bail and band, which will insure a safe and reliable means for suspending such bottles.

Another object of the present invention is to provide more visibility in the area adjacent the bottom of the bottle, and at the top when the same is inverted, for determining the fluid level in the bottle.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, economy, and ease of manufacture, and also such further objects, advantages, and capabilities as will fully appear and as are inherently possessed by the device and the invention described herein.

The invention further resides in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while there is shown therein a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the same is merely illustrative of the invention, and that the invention is capable of further modification and change and comprehends other details of construction without departing from the spirit thereof, or the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the band or strap.

Figure 2 is a front elevational View of the bail.

Figure 2A is a fragmentary view of the rotating and attaching hook for attaching the bail to the strap, with reference to line ZA-ZA of Figure 2.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the complete hanger mounted on the specific form of bottle required,

with the bails inoperative position shown in dotted lines.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the complete hanger with the strap in a horizontal plane and the bail in a vertical plane.

Referring now to the drawings, the hanger is generally designated in Figure 3 by the numeral 10 and comprises a strap or band member 11 which is illustrated in detail in Figure l and a bail member 12 which is illustrated in detail in Figure 2. The strap member 11 is preferably made of a single length of wire 13 which is preferably a plated steel Wire of about 16 gauge (0.062 dia.) and rolled to have a thickness of about 0.028 inch and a width of about The ends are deburred and rounded suificiently to remove rough edges. As illustrated in Figure 1, the greater part of the length of the wire is bent to assume a 'cincular shape. About midway of the length of the wire it is doubly bent laterally. at 14 to provide a radially extending olfset for a purpose explained hereinafter. One of the end portions of the 15, and the other end portion, designated generally as 16, is bent at its outer extremity to provide a tab 17 and? at 'its innerextremity it is bent as I shownf at lsl at approximately a fortyfi've degree angle with respect to age tangent to the: body' porti'o'n of thewire at: the point The-bail ortion-12; which is shown in detail imFi ure2,=is "of iround wi-re steck about 16 gauge (OZO'GZ diaJ) plated steel wire. The ends thereof are bent to -form eyes-26s lt is to be noted that thecenter'of the eyes 26 is oflYSet 'from the axis of the ba'il ll and that both eyeslie in par-all'el vertical! lanesi 'Ih'us; the b'ail end along a portionof eaeh eye" Z6 is straight-as shown at'lfi} which produces- 1 an advantageous ettetas i explained in detail 'herein'afters The eye 2=is-clbsed, preferably by a relatively-straighfi portieniWwhieh abuts the main portion of 'the bail' at 28% lt'eferring'now te=Figure 3Z there-is shown a' bottle 30 of thedypestand'ardizd for bloodtran'sfusions and other forms of dripinjections: Thisis'a-glass-bottlehavinga neck" 31- within whichisfitted'astopper 32 and to which is connected a *tube"33-for'efilux ofthecontents of the bottle: Shown at 34" are graduations indicating the liquid content of the bottle, and'itis to 'be observed that' these extend only to the annular groove "35. The bottle is formed with'an' annular groove 35 for receiving the str'apof a hangerand'is'widerthan' theeomventional bandwhich'is'approximately /2 inch in width; The'hanger of the present invention is shown attached to the 9 bottlein cooperation withthe' annular groove 35; The strap lloccupies'a minimumpfsp'a'ce within the groove 35; and, therefore; conceals a minimum of the fluid in the bottle 30.

Because both"the'b'ail' member 12am the-band rnember 11 are madefr'om steel wire stock, it is possible and practical'to' plate or galvanize the stock prior to fabrication which results in a great saving of time and other costs. Accordingly, the hanger will be completely' formed and assembled prior to delivery to the pharmaceutical house for attachment to the bottles. All bending operations are performed prior to assembly. The band member 11 is bent to the form shown in Figure 1 and the bail member 12 is bent to the semi-eircular form shown in Figures 2 and 2A. The bail 13 is assembled with the strap 11 by slipping the tab end 1-6 of the wire 13 through one of the eyes 26. This eye is moved along the wire 13 until the straight portion 28 thereof is seated in the otiset 14, while the remaining portion is outside. The eye completely encircles the strap at this point. It will be observed that no portion of the hook or bail increases the diameter or extends beyond the projection of the offset 14. The hook 15 is then inserted in the other eye 26 through the rounded portion and with the bent tip 17!: almost touching the outer perimeter of band 13. To complete the assembly, the tab 17 of the bendback 16 is slipped through the same eye. Complete assembly is accomplished by machinery. The assembled hanger is delivered'to the user with the band 11 open as shown in'Figure 1.

As assembled, the hanger may be easily slipped over the end of the bottle 'without unlatching the bend-back 16 without any fitting or binding until it is brought into registry with the groove 35. The tab 17 keeps it from sliding'out and the spring of the band in assembled form permits expansion during application over the end of the bottle, so that it'will snap into place when it reaches the groove 35. The tab 17 is grasped and the tail portion 16- is bent approximately, about the point 18, using the eye as a fulcrum, but bearing against the opposite side of the eye from the hook 15. The angle of the bendback 16 causes the band to draw tightly around the bottle in the groove, insuring that the hanger will -not slip from the bottle. When theband is applied, the main bend'at 18 inthe tail portion16 is'at apoint which towels and the like.

is less than the circumference of the bottle when it approaches the eye in the fastening. This causes the band to draw up tightly around the bottle when the tail portion is bent back. The hanger will then be securely fastened to the bottle 30. In the locked position the tabs 17 and 17a are pointed toward the perimeter of the band 11 so that there are no raw'e'nds tosnag on gloves, gowns, It is to be observed that when the bail is folded'touhe horizontal orinopera'tive position (in either direction) that it addsvery little to? the overall diameter, thereby.eliminatingjdiihculties arising --frorn packaging and damage to adjacent bottles. Also, there are no wire ends which-contact the glass to cause fracture in shipping.

When the bottle 30 is not in use and is seated on its bottom portion with the neck 31 uppermost, the bail 12 will be rotated to the horizontal, inoperative position shown in'dotted lines-in Figure 3. In this position the bail will be out of the way andwill not interfere with- Also, the departure handling and stackingthe bottles. of the eyes 26 from a wholly circular configuration by reason of the straight portions -28 and 29 shown in' Figure 2A, provides anoff-center or cam effect which-requires someforce to rotate thebail fromthe vertical position to horizontal position. This is caused bya binding of the eyes 26 on the offset 14- and the hook 15. This force is-notnso'great that'itpresentsany difficulty when it is desired to move the bail to horizontal-position, but his sufficient normally:tomaintain the bailin the vertical positiont- The vertical position of'the bail,-

as shown in Figure 4; permits-movement to the horizontal in both directions; left or right, whichever is preferred. However, if theistraight portion of the eye 28 issecured within theoffset 14, th'en .thevertical position will be further maintained because the offset 1 iwill permit movement of the bail in one direction only.

It will thus'be apparent that a hanger for bottles-such as those used in"-blo'od transfusions has been provided which is very simple and inexpensive to manufacture;

The extreme narrowness of the band 11' is advantageousand load capacity due not only to better materials whichmay be used, but also the closed eyes 26 which completely encircle theband.

In attaching the-hangers to the bottles it will stand more successive bending than previous hangers and it ismore speedily and easily attached to and detached from a bottle. There is less human error in applying the hangers to'the bottles and the hanger is much more compact than hangers used heretofore for this purpose, making the packaging problem of bottles so equipped handled without requiring additional packing. space or protection. All of these are of great importance to the pharmaceutical house and because the hanger is used once and then discarded.

I claim:

1. A hanger assembly for readyattachment comprising a strap portion adapted to circums'cribe and embrace a grooved bottle and a bail portion adapted to suspend the strap portion and a bottle; saidstrap portion comprising a" flattened wire bent to approximately the shape and radius of a bottle having a radial ofiset diametrically opposed tothe end portion and having a first end portion bent back upon itself to provide aclosed'hook and a secondend portion bent to provide an external tab; said bail portion comprising a wire bent to a generally semicircular'configuration and having off center closed eyewith' an'abuttingstr'aight portion at each end lying in parallehplanes'which completely encircle said strap, one

of said eyes encircling said closed hook with the tab end loosely retained through said eye.

2. A hanger assembly ready for attachment comprising a narrow metallic strap bent to a generally circular configuration to embrace an annularly grooved bottle, having outward open radial ofiset portion approximately midway of the ends of the strap, having a hook bent back upon itself formed at one end of the strap and having a bent tail portion formed at the other end thereof; and a length, said strap being bent to a generally circular shape to embrace an annularly grooved bottle, having an external offset formed therein diametrically opposite the ends of the strap, having a hook formed at one end thereof by bending the same back against itself and having a bent tail portion at the other end thereof; said bail being of semicircular configuration having offset closed eye with a straight abutting portion at each end, said eyes lying in planes parallel to each other and oflset with respect to the axis of the bail, one such eye being seated for rotation in said external offset and the other eye secured in said hook of said strap and loosely retaining the bent tail portion, completely encircling the same.

4-. A bottle hanger assembly for ready attachment comprising a strap in the form of a soft metallic wire having a small width and thickness compared to its length, said strap being bent to a generally circular shape to embrace an annularly grooved bottle, having a radial offset formed therein diametrically opposite the ends of the strap, having a hook formed at one end thereof by bending the same back against itself and having a bent tail portion at the other end thereof; and a hail of generally semicircular configuration having a closed eye at each end, said eyes lying in a plane parallel to each other and offset with respect to the axis of the bail, one such eye encircling and being seated in said radial ofiset and the other eye secured in said hook and loosely retaining the bent tail portion passing therethrough, said eyes being of generally circular configuration but each having a linear portion capable of binding against said hook and notch to retain the bail in operable position perpendicular to the plane of the strap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,228,348 Morgan May 29, 1917 1,422,574 Hough July 11, 1922 

